Should You Pursue a Career in Software Development in 2025? An Honest Look

Part of the Future of Work Series

Note: Written with the help of my research team 🙂 including: (Google Gemini, Google Notebook LM, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity.ai, Claude.ai and others as needed)

A familiar question echoing around dinner tables, group chats, and family gatherings—especially from the younger generation these days: “Should I go into software development?” It’s a fair question, and it deserves an honest answer, not a sugar-coated one.

Here’s what my general answer is: Yes, software development can still be a rewarding career, but it’s changing faster than almost any profession out there. If you’re considering this path, you need to go in with your eyes wide open.

The Landscape Has Shifted—Fast

A decade ago, coding was a rarefied skill. Today, the gap between those who can code and those who can’t has shrunk dramatically.
AI tools and automation platforms like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and no-code services have fundamentally changed what it means to “become a developer.” Tasks that used to take hours are done in minutes; code that took weeks to learn now appears instantly via prompts.

Is this bad news? Not really—it just means routine coding is being automated at lightning speed. The mechanical parts of programming are being handled by machines.

The Premium Pay Era Is Ending

Let’s address the elephant in the room: Software development no longer guarantees premium salaries for routine work anymore.

Anyone can spin up a basic app using no-code tools (like Cursor, Bubble or Webflow) or any AI chatbot / assistants in under an hour. The skill of simply “writing code” is no longer scarce, so entry-level wages reflect that. These tools are serious—they’re building real, functioning products. Just recently, a friend with no technical background built a working prototype for their business in an afternoon. He was doing all of the work, I was just there providing guidance. Frankly, it was impressive!

What Still Sets Developers Apart

But building a demo is very different from keeping a complex system running for thousands of real users.
This is where the profession has split in two:

Orchestration means not just coding, but managing how different tools, AI models, people, and platforms work together.

System design is about making apps secure, reliable, and scalable—tasks still far beyond what AI or automation can do solo.

What Really Matters: Business Problem-Solving

It’s never been about the syntax. The value was always in solving real problems for real people.
Today, the most valuable developers ask:

• Should we build this, or is there already a solution?
• If we build, what’s the fastest way to test if it solves the business problem?
• Can we use AI tools or no-code platforms to speed up development and focus on what matters?

If you can frame and solve the business need—sometimes by building, sometimes by integrating, sometimes by advising against building—you’ll thrive. If your focus is just on writing code, the field will feel much tougher.

Orchestration, Not Just Execution

Here’s what separates those who advance:

• Can you manage multiple tools, AI agents, APIs, and platforms working together?
• Can you keep systems running when real usage introduces edge cases and bugs?
• Can you make smart tradeoffs between building vs. buying, speed vs. reliability, and custom vs. off-the-shelf?
• Is your app and integration components secure?

Technical execution still matters—but business-focused orchestration is where opportunity and pay have shifted.

You Can Try the Field—Risk Free

The good news: testing a software or no-code career has never been cheaper or more accessible.
You can start learning and building with free resources and modern AI assistants right now, then decide if you love moving from “my code runs” to “this app works reliably for users.” and there are many options! ( see also my article: Coding with No Code & Vibe Coding Tools as of August 2025)

• Learning to Code: freeCodeCamp, The Odin Project, MIT OpenCourseWare, YouTube (Fireship, Traversy Media, CS Dojo)
• AI Coding Assistants: GitHub Copilot (free for students), Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, V0.dev, Bolt.new, Replit Agent
• No-Code Platforms: Bubble, Webflow, FlutterFlow, Zapier, Make, Airtable
• Project Platforms: GitHub, Replit, CodePen

Also note that AI-powered chatbots such as Claude.ai, ChatGPT.com, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Google’s Gemini (gemini.google.com), among many others, can generate highly usable code efficiently. Foundational large language models (LLMs) excel at producing quality code snippets, functions, and even complex program structures. Leading companies have integrated expanded coding-related features around these AI models into their public chatbot offerings, making code generation, debugging, and assistance more accessible as core parts of their platforms. This capability will continue to evolve rapidly, driven by growing demand from the general public to create software solutions without needing to understand the technical details behind the code.

What is My Advise Exploring the Field

Just Dive into It!

Don’t dabble randomly—test with intent. You must have an idea for an app, to, process or

• First 1-2 months:
  • Listen to as many YouTube Videos as you can or enroll of one of many free courses (there are MANY options for both!) T
• Next 1-2 months:
  • Build something that matters to you. Quickly prototype with AI or no-code; then upgrade it (add custom features, handle errors, improve reliability).
  • Choose a single path and build small projects. Also try at least one no-code tool.
• Check-in:
  • Are you excited to tackle tougher problems?
  • Do you enjoy moving projects from “just works” to “works at scale, for real people”?
  • Do you enjoy learning about business needs, not just tech specs?
  • Do you like orchestrating tools and figuring out what’s worth building?
  • Did you completed your objective? This is a BIG ONE! grade YOURSELF! and Be hones!

If yes, you’re on the right path.

Human Skills Matter More Than Ever

With AI handling grunt work, what sets the best apart?

• Business acumen: Understanding what solves problems for users or businesses
• Communication: Explaining choices to non-technical people and translating needs into technical requirements
• Systems thinking: Seeing the big picture (across many platforms)
• Orchestration: Managing the interplay of tools, APIs, AI models
• Good judgment: Deciding when to use no-code, buy, or build; balancing speed, quality, and cost
• Production experience: Keeping apps running reliably as they grow

These skills can’t (yet!) be automated—and they’re not going away. Having said this, before you commit, I would recommend you ask yourself you’re drawn by:

• The urge to solve problems or build useful things—great.
• The chance to orchestrate and connect different systems—even better.
• Just the income, or the “ease” of AI-assisted coding—be wary. Premium pay now goes to orchestration, judgment, and real-world problem-solving.

If you discover the day-to-day work doesn’t excite you, many adjacent tech roles (product management, data analysis, UX, technical writing, sysadmin, business analysis) also need adaptable, tech-savvy people and increasingly reward those comfortable with no-code and AI tools.

Net-Net

You are the only one that knows YOU. Ultimately it is your decision, but also keep in mind that for many of us, we started with something and are doing something completely different – You have choices, and you can make not only adjustments, but significant changes, along the way.

Nobody knows exactly what software jobs will look like in 5–10 years. But the direction is clear: more complexity, faster change, and a rising bar for what counts as valuable. The “knowing how to code” advantage fades fast; the “knowing how to orchestrate, solve problems, and deliver value” advantage will remain.

• Yes, in 2025, almost anyone can launch a prototype in half an hour.
• But moving an idea to a robust, production-ready system dealing with real users and business demands? That’s still deeply human work.

The best advice: try the journey yourself using the free tools and resources. Build, learn, connect ideas. If navigating constant change and orchestrating new technologies sounds tiring, this field may frustrate you. If it sounds exhilarating—even as the bar rises—you’re entering software work at the perfect moment.

Let your curiosity (and your effort) give you the answer. Many tools are free, the world is automating, and the real differentiator is you.

Additional Resources:

• Coding with No Code & Vibe Coding Tools as of August 2025